Tunnel mucking apparatus



Feb. 8, 1938. c. M. BROWNER TUNNEL MUCKING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 8, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Rh R N Inventor Ceca! M Browrzer "Q By Attorneys Feb. s, 1938. BR WNER 2,107,688

TUNNEL MUCKING APPARATUS Fiijed- Aug. 8, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor lecz'Z fi Brqwzzer A iiorneys 1938. c. M. BROWNER TUNNEL MUCKING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 8, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Inventor feczll firowxzer B la M Aitorneus 1938 c. M. BROWNER TUNNEL MUCKING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 8, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Attorneys -50- arrows.

Patented F eb. 8, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TUNNEL MUCKING APPARATUS Cecil M. Browner, Beaumont, Calif. Application August s, 1936, Serial No. 95,022

8 Claims.

My invention relates generally to tunnel mucking apparatus, and particularly to apparatus of this character embodying improvements over :lO Among the improvements embodied in the invention which constitutes the subject matter of the present application are re-arrangements of the digging boom operating mechanism as well as the main boom anddigging boom supporting means, whereby more efficient operation of the apparatus is secured. The improvements also include re-distribution and re-arrangement of the engine and its operating connections to the mam boom and the digging boom, and the opera- -g' tive connection of the engine with are-arranged conveyor for discharging the muck from the apparatus. An important feature of the present invention isthe improved arrangement of the front end of the apparatus whereby the main boom and from side to side of these elements when required" to'dig a tunnel the full width of the apparatus,

@30 with the initial position of the apparatus and directional movement thereof unchanged except for predetermined forward motion.

Other important objects of my invention will I be apparent from a reading of the following de- 35 scription taken in connection with the drawings, wherein for purposes of illustration I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention.

Figure 1 is a general side elevational view of the embodiment showing the digging boom in an 40 intermediate position.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure l but showing the digging boom in the position which it first assumes after a digging operation.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the embodiment.

F1 45 j Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional 'view taken through Figure 1.

- Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken through Figure 4 approximately on the line 55 andlooking downwardly in the direction of the Figure 6 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken through the conveyor belt structure.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the inner section of the digging boom.

65 Figure .8 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view showing the arrangement of one of the digging boom operating racks.

Figure 9 is a horizontal sectional view taken through the front part of the front or outer section of the digging boom. 5

Figure 10 is a horizontal sectional view taken through the lower part of the boom support.

Figure 11 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view taken through Figure 10 approximately on the line l|l I. 10

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 5 generally designates the frame of the tunnel mucking apparatus which comprises a chassis or base 6 which has a main elevated portion 1, a depressed portion 8 and a still further 15 depressed front portion 9. Removably mounted by means generally designated Ill and H are trucks l2 and I3, respectively, for mounting the chassis on rails 14. It is to be understood that trucks l2 and I3 may be replaced by other railway trucks having a greater number of wheels,

or may be replaced by caterpillar trucks to mount the device operatively on a surface devoid of rails. Under the front portion 9 of the chassis is a transversely arranged roller l5 which is arranged to engage the tops of therails [4 or other supporting surface to prevent downward tipping of the front-end of the chassis under the strain of the operation of the booms and the weight of the material dug.

Rising from the elevated portion 1 and from the rear extremity of the chassis 5 is the vertical standard l6 which is transversely arranged and from the left elevated portion 8 of the chassis rises a pair of transversely spaced standards l1 and extending from the tops ofothese standards I! to the upper part of the standard l6 are the'longitudinal braces I8. Extending rearwardly and upwardly from an intermediate portion of the V standards H are longitudinal 40 braces l9 which have their rear ends connected to short vertical standards 20 whose upper ends are connected by the cross member 2|. Across the tops of the front ends of the brace members I9 is arranged and fixed the lower brace plate 22 whose front end is triangular in form and has in its apex the pivot 23. A similar brace plate 24 is mounted on the tops of the forward ends ofthe tubular frame members l8 and fastened thereto and to the upper ends of the standards H. The front end of this plate is triangular in form and in the apex thereof is the upper pivot 25 which is axially aligned with the pivot 23. On

the rear end of the upper brace plate 24 is the pulley 26 over which the digging boom operating cable is trained.

The conveyor which is generally designated 21 comprises the two side walls 28 and 29 which are connected adjacent their lower ends by the supporting metal web 30 on which the top flight 3! of the conveyor belt which is generally designated 32 is slidably supported. The lower flight 33 of the conveyor belt works under the web 35 and rests on supporting rollers 34 which are mounted as clearly indicated in Figure 1 under the lower flight of the belt, whereby the lower flight of the conveyor belt is prevented from drooping below the lower edges of the side members Z8 and 29 of the conveyor frame.

The conveyor frame has a generally horizontal portion 35 extending beyond the rear of the chassis 5 and the descending portion 36 which runs practically the length of the chassis 5 at the same angle to reach the hopper 31 the nature of which is clearly shown in Figure 4 and which is arranged on the top of the front extremity 9 of the chassis.

The rear end of the conveyor belt 32 runs over a roller on a shaft 38 which is mounted by belt tightening means generally designated 39 on the conveyor frame portion 35 and its opposite end is trained over the roller 39 which is mounted in brackets 40 on the lower part of the hopper 31 and within the front chassis portion 9 as illustrated in Figure 4. A suitable web 40 is irregularly formed to permit the conveyor frame to pass the front end of the chassis portion 1 at a lower level than the top of this chassis portion and similar irregular formations 42 are made in the relatively elevated portion 8 of the chassis to pass the conveyor frame.

The top 43 of the front extremity 9 of the chassis frame is semi-circular in form and level and on this run the rollers 44 which are mounted on shafts 45 in the arcuate foot 46 which forms the lower end of the boom support which is generally designated 41, the rollers 44 being arranged in openings 48 in the foot 46 as. clearly shown in Figures 10 and 11 of the drawings. Inwardly and upwardly inclined side members 49 of L-shaped cross-section or other suitable cross section rise from the opposite ends of the arcuate foot 46 as illustrated in Figure 10 and a top cross member 58 joins the upper ends of the side members 49. Joined to the cross member 50 is the bifurcated triangular member 5| in the apex of which turns the pivot 25, with the furcations of the member 5! on opposite sides of the plate 24. A generally similar bifurcated member 52 is placed intermediate the upper ends of and connecting the side members 49 and the furcations of this member 52 are arranged on opposite sides of the plate 22 and the pivot 23 traverses the apex of the furcations and also the apex of the plate 24 with the pivots 23 and 25 vertically aligned as already pointed out and as clearly shown in Figure 4. The support which is generally designated 41 is thereby supported in a backwardly tilted position relative to the framework of the chassis and with the rollers 44 of its foot rolling on the top of the arcuate surface 43 at the front end of the chassis portion 9, in such a way that the support 41 may be readily swung toward either side according to the position of the booms desired with respect to the work.

On the front of the foot 46 is a short arcuate member 54 which is provided with a cable accommodating groove 55 in which is received and fastened the cable 56 which is utilized in a manner to be described for swinging the support 41 from side to side as desired.

Pivotally supported on the support 47 are the main boom 57 and the digging boom 58.

The main boom 51 is shaped substantially similarly to the main boom of the machine shown in the above mentioned co-pending application and the rear end of the main boom is pivotally supported on the shaft 60 which traverses an intermediate point of the side members 49 of the support 4?.

On the top part of the outer end of the main boom are mounted the main sheaves El and 62 and inwardly of these is mounted on the top 63 of the boom the shaft 54 on which the small sheave 65 is mounted. As shown in Figure 3 the main boom is tapering in formation.

The digging boom 58 has a front digging section 65 which is similar in outline but much deeper and heavier than the corresponding section of the digging boom of the said co-pending application, and the dumping section 51 of the digging boom is much deeper and has a greater capacity than the corresponding section of the digging boom of the said co-pending application. These improvements in the digging boom are effective in producing more efficient operation of the apparatus as a whole and by increasing the capacity thereof, and much enhance the general efficiency and utility of apparatus of this general character.

The dumping section '51 has the flat bottom 68 from the inner end of which depend the ears 69 which are journaled on the shaft i which traverses the lower ends of the side members 49 of the support 41. Relatively low side Walls H extend only a short distance from the rear end of the dumping section til where they terminate in high side walls i2 which have their front ends joining the rounded front wall 13 which has extending forwardly therefrom the ears 14 which are journaled on the shaft 75.

The shaft i has journaled thereon the large ears 75 which project from the bottom ll of the digging section 55. Also journaled on the shaft l5 laterally outwardly of the large ears 16 is the forward end of the racks 18 which work slidably through sleeves 79 which are mounted at the top and opposite sides of the main boom 51 in a manner to be described.

The digging section 65 has rising from the bottom H at its rear end the relatively low side walls 80 which are short and terminate in the relatively high walls 8! which terminate at their front ends in the upwardly and outwardly curved front wall 82 which is provided in its upper edge with the sharpened teeth 83 which bite into the earth when the digging section 66 is moved for- Wardly and downwardly from the position shown in Figure 4 to engagement with the earth.

Near the front end of the fiat bottom ll of the digging section 56 are brackets 84 which journal a shaft 85 on the opposite ends of which are swingably mounted the levers 86 which are engaged therewith at their lower ends and. which swing freely along the sides of the digging section and are pivoted as indicated by the numeral 81 at their upper ends to a yoke 88 which extends between the levers 81 at the center of which is fastened the eye 89 to which the sheave 95 is swingably attached. Stop brackets 9| on opposite sides of the high walls 8! of the digging section are arranged at the rear ends thereof operate as stops to be engaged by the levers 86 in the position illustrated in Figure 4 when the V 7 "23107 688 sheave 90 is pulled upwardly,whereby to lift and ferent positions thereof, which freedom would not fbe afforded this digging section were the sheave 90' attached rigidly thereto. This arrangement permits greater amplitude of movement of the digging section than is possible to the digging section of my co-pending application; Resulting from this arrangement is an added crowding effect in the digging, a more sharply angulated tilting during the gravitational passing of the .earth from the digging section into the dumpmg section 61, as wellas other advantages which a pear herein.

When the digging section 66 is operated from the position shown in Figure 4 to a still further depressed and forwardly moved position in which .it engages and digs the earth and becomes filled with earth, the sheave 90 is elevated so as to *swing the digging section on the axis of the shaft 15 to the position shown in Figure 2. This position causes the earth in the digging section to fall into the dumping section 61. The racks 78 are then operated to raise the front end of "the dumping section 61 to the position shown Figure 4 wherein the earth slides gravitationally along the flat bottom 63 thereof and empties ,The initial positioning of the main boom 51 is fachieved by operating the main boom elevating cable 95. This cable is trained over a pulley Q96 on a shaft 91 journaled between the upper parts of the side members I! of the chassis frame and then brought up around the small sheave 98 which ismounted on the shaft 64 and then brought rearwardly over the sheave 99 which is attached to the cross member 50 and then'across and. around the small sheave I which is mounted on the shaft 64 and then rearwardly and around the sheave IOI which is fastened to the cross member 50 and then fastened as indicated by the numeral sheave I00 as clearlyshown in Figure 3. The rear end of' the cable 95 is trained over the drum I03 which is mounted on the left hand part of the shaft I04 which is mounted. between the side members I1 and the chassis frame.

The cable I05 which operates the sheave 90 is run off the right hand drum I06 which is on the'shaft I04 and is trained upwardly over the pulley 26 as clearly shown in Figure 4 and then over the pulley 65 and then over the right hand sheave 62 around the sheave 90 and then upwardly around the sheave BI and then fastened asindicated by the numeral I06 to the sheave 90. Selective operation of the drums I03 and I06 is arranged for by clutch means and lever operators I01 and I08, respectively, and brake means 109 consisting of bands fastened as indicated by the numeral H0 and laid over brake bands on the ends of the drums and controlled by corresponding brake levers III and H2 which are arranged over the platform II3 which is arranged at the right hand'side of the right hand standard I]; whereby the drums may be selectively operatively engaged with the shaft I04 I02 to the small which {is constantly turned by virtue of its "sprocket connection I I4, to change the position of the main boom and/or operate the digging section 66 at the will of the operator who stands on the platform II3.

One end of the shaft I 04 has fixed thereto the large beveled gear II6 with which is meshed a beveled gear II! which is fixed on the drive shaft II8 which leads from the engine I I9 which is mounted on the rear end of the elevated portion I of the chassis, whereby the shaft I 04 is constantly driven while the engine is in opera- "tion." A cage I20 mounts the front end of the shaft'II8 and also a slidably mounted beveled gear I2I which has a universal connection I22 to the rear end'of an extensible shaft I23 which has a front end universal connection I24 to a small beveled gear I25-which is, in turn, in mesh with another small beveled gear I26 which is fastened to the shaft I21 which has thereon pinions I28 which respectively drive the individual racks I8. A clutch control I29 operated by the lever I30 which extends through the platform I I3 is arranged to operate the beveled gears into and out of engagement for producing re verse rotation of the shaft I23 for raising and lowering the racks I8 as may be required, independently of the rotation of the shaft I04 which continuously rotates in one direction.

The mentioned sprocket connection H4 operates the axle I3I on which the wheels of the trucks II and I2 are rigidly fastened through a clutch shaft I32 which is controlled by means of a lever I33 which is exposed for operation just to the rear 'of the platform II3; through the agency of the gear ring I34 which is operated by a lever I33 to bring about the operative connection between the idler shaft I35 and the axle I3I through the medium of the sprocket connection I36.

The clutch I32 which is directly driven by the sprocket I I4 has, gear and clutch means generally designated I31 operable by the lever I 38 which extends from the platform II3 whereby the vertically arranged drum I39 may be operated in either direction to move the cable 55 which is wound thereon to swing the support 41 from side to side as may be required. The'object of the operative connection between the shaft I32 and the axle I3I is to apply the power of the shaft I04, originating in the engine II9, to the axle I3I to move the device forwardly or rearwardly as may be required by the work.

Although I have shown and described herein a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be definitely understood that I do not desire to limit the application of the invention thereto, and any change or changes may be made in the materials, and in the structure and arrangement of the parts, within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the subjoined claims.

'What is claimed is:--

1. Tunnel mucking apparatus comprising a chassis including framework, vertical pivot means on said framework, a boom support pivoted by said pivot means, a semi-circular track on the front of said chassis below said support, a forwardly extending foot on said support having rollers running on said track and supporting the front of said support, a main boom pivoted on said suupport, and a digging boom on said support.

2. Tunnel mucking apparatus comprising a chassis including framework, vertical pivot means on said framework, a boom support pivoted by said pivot means, a semi-circular track on the front of said chassis below said support, a forwardly extending foot on said support having rollers running on said track and supporting the front of said support, a main boom pivoted on said support, a digging boom on said support, and operating means engaged with said foot for swinging said support from side to side.

3. Tunnel mucking apparatus comprising a chassis including framework, vertical pivot means on said framework, a boom support pivoted by said pivot means, a semi-circular track on the front of said chassis below said support, a forwardly extending foot on said support having rollers running on said track and supporting the front of said support, a main boom pivoted on the front of said support, and a digging boom on said support below said main boom, said digging boom comprising pivotally connected sections, one of said sections being pivoted directly to said support.

4. Tunnel mucking apparatus comprising a chassis including framework, vertical pivot means on said framework, a boom support pivoted by said pivot means, a semi-circular track on the front of said chassis below and forwardly of said support, a forwardly extending foot on the front of said support having rollers running on said track and supporting the front of said support, a main boom pivoted on an upper part of said support, a digging boom on said support below the pivotal point of said main boom, and a conveyor on said chassis leading from a hopper located adjacent the lower end of said boom sup port, said conveyor being inclined upwardly and rearwardly and being connected to said framework.

5. Tunnel mucking apparatus comprising a chassis including framework, vertical pivot means on said framework, a boom support pivoted by said pivotmeans, a semi-circular track on the front of said chassis below said support, a forwardly extending foot on said support having rollers running on said track and supporting the front of said support, a main boom pivoted on said support, a digging boom on said support, an operators platform on said chassis adjacent said boom support, and control means adjacent said platform for controlling the operation of the booms and said boom support.

6. Tunnel mucking apparatus comprising a chassis including framework, vertical pivot means on said framework, a boom support pivoted by said pivot means, a circular track on said chassis below said support, a foot on said support having rollers running on said track and supporting said support, a main boom pivoted on said support, a digging boom on said support, said digging boom having pivotally connected sections, one of said sections being pivoted to said support, racks pivoted to one of the sections and engaged with said main boom, pinion means on said main boom for operating said racks, and an engine on said chassis operatively connectible to said pinion means.

7. Tunnel mucking apparatus comprising a chassis including framework, vertical pivot means on said framework, a boom support pivoted by said pivot means, a semi-circular track on the front of said chassis below said boom support, a forwardly extending foot on said support having rollers running on the front of said track and supporting said support, a main boom pivoted on an upper part of said support, a digging boom on said support below the pivotal point of said main boom, and means on said framework for raising and lowering said main boom independently of said digging boom.

8. Tunnel mucking apparatus comprising a chassis including framework, vertical pivot means on said framework, a boom support pivoted by said pivot means, a semi-circular track on said chassis below the front of said support, a forwardly extending foot on said support having rollers running on said track and supporting the front of said support, a main boom pivoted on an upper part of said support, a digging boom on said support below the pivotal point of said main boom, and means for operating said digging boom independently of said boom, the last men tioned means having a part supportably en-. gaged with said main boom.

CECIL M. BROWNER. 

